On October 7, Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians in the country’s history, resulting in the deaths of about 1,200 people  and an estimated 240 more abducted as hostages. Additionally, more than 15,000 Gazans have died since the outbreak of the war. 

On December 11, USIP hosted a conversation with U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) exploring his views on the current Israel-Hamas war. The discussion examined the imperatives and considerations in navigating a war against a belligerent like Hamas without punishing the multitude of innocent civilians who are not complicit in Hamas’ terrorism.

Continue the conversation on social media using the hashtag #USIPNewsmaker.

Speakers

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)
U.S. Senator from Arkansas

Roger Zakheim
Member, U.S. Institute of Peace Board of Directors; Washington Director, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute

Related Publications

Mona Yacoubian on the Middle East’s Dangerous Escalation Dynamic

Mona Yacoubian on the Middle East’s Dangerous Escalation Dynamic

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Amid the latest exchange of strikes between Israel and Iran, the Middle East is “a region that really is on fire,” says USIP’s Mona Yacoubian. “There are no guardrails anymore … all of these different players are testing and probing each other to see what they can get away with. And that’s where the danger lies.”

Type: Podcast

What’s Next for Israel, Iran and Prospects for a Wider Middle East War?

What’s Next for Israel, Iran and Prospects for a Wider Middle East War?

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Early Saturday morning in Tehran, Israel carried out what it called a series of “precise and targeted” airstrikes on Iranian military targets. This was the latest in a series of direct exchanges between Isarel and Iran in recent months. Israel Defense Forces struck 20 sites, including air defense batteries and radar, factories for missile and drone production, and weapons and aircraft launch sites. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the attack had "severely damaged Iran’s defense capability and its ability to produce missiles.” The Iranian government announced the deaths of four military personnel and one civilian, but otherwise took a more measured response than might be expected.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

A Year After October 7, the Middle East Crisis Has No End in Sight

A Year After October 7, the Middle East Crisis Has No End in Sight

Thursday, October 10, 2024

The grim anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel and the ensuing war brought little respite for memorialization and healing from the enormity of loss with which Israeli and Palestinian societies have been grappling. More than 100 of the over 250 Israeli and foreign hostages abducted that day into Gaza are estimated to remain in captivity, with only 64 presumed still alive; upward of 42,000 Gazans have been killed in the ongoing war, most of the enclave’s population has been repeatedly displaced, and damage and humanitarian devastation is widespread. A multi-front war that has simmered since that day is now poised to boil over with catastrophic potential for the region.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

The Middle East on Fire

The Middle East on Fire

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Iran’s ballistic missile strikes on Israel on October 1 have raised fears of an all-out war in the Middle East. The deepening spiral of bloodshed began on September 17 and 18 with the detonation across Lebanon of thousands of pagers and two-way radios used by Hezbollah operatives — one analyst deemed the unprecedented Israeli operation “the most extensive physical supply chain attack in history.” Ongoing airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon have marked the most significant Israeli barrage in 11 months of tit-for-tat escalation. On September 27, Israel dealt Hezbollah a devastating blow by killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on a Beirut suburb. Despite reeling from these latest reverses and the evisceration of its command structure, the Shiite militia continues to lob missiles at Israel. Stunned and outraged, Iran — Hezbollah’s patron — fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel; at least one person was killed in the West Bank. Iranians are now bracing for Israeli retaliation. The cycle of violence, it appears, is far from over.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications